Automatic lock slider



April 21, 1964 E. CARLILE AUTOMATIC LOCK SLIDER Filed Feb. 28, 1963 Titre.

INVENTOR 15 6421/15 United States Patent Ofifice 3,129,480 Patented Apr. 21, 1964 3,12,48tl AUTGMATIC LQCK SLIDER Alfred E. Carlile, Meadvilie, Pm, assignor to Talon, E32,, a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Feb. 28, 1963, Ser. No. 261,5?1 8 Claims. (Cl. 24-29514) This invention relates to slide fasteners, and more particularly, to an improved so-called reversible or doublepull automatic lock slider therefor.

In certain applications of slide fasteners, such as reversible jackets and the like, it is desirable that the slider be operable to open and close the fastener from either side thereof. Such a slider is commonly called a reversible slider and in such sliders there is provided a pull member on both the front and rear side thereof so that the locking member may be moved to unlocked position by operation of either pull member thereby permitting the slider to be moved along the fastener.

It is one of the objects of the present invention to provide an improved reversible automatic lock slider for slide fasteners consisting of a minimum number of parts which can be easily and inexpensively fabricated and assembled.

It is another object of the invention to provide an improved reversible automatic lock slider which is simple, compact and rugged in its construction and at the same time, efiicient and effective in its use.

It is a more specific object of this invention to provide an improved reversible lock slider having automatic locking means which can be controlled to unlock the slider from either side of the fastener, and which will effectively lock the slider automatically at any point along the fastener.

Various other objects and advantages of this invention will be more apparent in the course of the following specification, and will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, there is shown for the purpose of illustration, an embodiment which my invention may assume in practice.

In these drawings:

KG. 1 is a plan view of a slide fastener having the improved slider in accordance with the present invention incorporated therewith,

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1 showing the locking member in its locked position,

FIG. 3 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 2 showing the locking member in its unlocked position, and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the locking member.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the improved automatic locking slider of my invention consists of a pair of spaced-apart wing portions 2 and 3 having marginal flanges 4 and interconnected at one end by a neck portion 5 so as to provide substantially a Y- shaped channel 6 therebetween.

There is provided a yoke-like or U-shaped locking member 7 having spaced-apart leg portions 8 and 9 which are connected at one end by a substantially arcuated transversely extending portion 10. This locking member 7 is made preferably of relatively thin resilient metallic stock. The locking member is positioned around the neck portion of the slider with the leg portions 8 and 9 being disposed opposite the respective wing portions 2 and 3 and with the arcuate transverse portion 10 disposed preferably in a recess 13 in the outer side of the neck portion 5 at the upper end of the slider.

There is arranged with the leg portion 8 on each side thereof, a side wall 15 and on the outer end of this leg portion, there is arranged a locking prong 16 which extends into and through an aperture 17 in the slider wing 2 adjacent the lower end thereof. Each of these side Walls 15 is cutaway so as to provide opposed openings 15a in the side walls for a purpose hereinafter to be described. The upper end of each of these side walls 15 terminates in a finger-like projection 18 and the lower or opposite end of each of these side Walls terminates in a finger-like projection 180.

On the outer side of the wing 2 at the upper end thereof there is arranged an outwardly extending lug 19 having recesses 19a arranged in each side thereof adjacent the outer side of the wing -2 in which the respective fingerlike projections 18 are movably disposed. At the lower or opposite end of this Wing 2, there is arranged another outwardly extending lug 30 also in each side of which there is arranged a recess 30a on the inner side thereof adjacent the wing 2 in which the respective finger like projections 18a are movably disposed. The sides of the openings 15a in the side walls 15 are tapered, as at 15b and 150.

There is provided a pull member 20 having a trunnion portion 21 which is disposed in the openings of the looking member '7 on the outer side of the wing 2 which trunnion portion cooperates with the tapered walls 15b and 15c to move the locking member to its unlocked position. The upper side of the lug 19 is preferably curved, as at 1%, so as to provide a fulcrum for the upper end of the leg portion 8 of the locking member 7, as more clearly shown in FIGS. 2. and 3 of the drawings.

There is arranged with the other leg portion 9 of the locking member 7 on each side thereof, a side wall 22 with each being cut away centrally thereof so as to provide opposed openings 23 therein. The upper end of each of these side Walls 22 terminates in a finger-like projection 24 and the opposite or lower end of each of these side walls terminates in a similar finger-like projection 25.

On the outer side of the wing 3 at the upper end thereof, there is arranged an outwardly extending lug 26 having a recess 27 arranged in each side thereof in which the respective finger-like projections 24 are movably disposed. There is also arranged at opposite or lower end of this Wing 3, another similar outwardly extending lug 28 also having a recess 2% in each side thereof in which the respective finger-like projections 25 are movably disposed.

There is provided another pull member 31 having a transversely extending trunnion portion 32 which is positioned in the openings 23 between the side walls 22 of the leg portion 9 of the locking member 7 and the outer side of the wing 3 and which cooperates with these side walls 22 to manipulate the locking member.

It will be noted that the locking member 7 is mounted on the slider body so that the side Walls 15 of the leg portion 8 straddle the lugs 1d and 34 on the wing 2 with the finger-like projections 18 and 18a disposed in respective recesses 19:: and 30a in the sides of the respective lugs on one side of the slider body with the inner side of the upper end of the leg portion resting on the curved fulcrum portion 19b of the lug 19, and so that the side walls 22 carried by the leg portion 9 straddle the lugs 26 and 28- on the opposite side of the slider body with the finger-like projections 24 and 25 disposed in the respective recesses 27 and 29 in the sides of the respec tive lug.

It will be understood that when the automatic lock slider of the present invention is positioned on the fastener elements E of the slide fastener, as shown in FIG. 1 of the drawings, for longitudinal movement therealong to engage and disengage the fastener elements in a manner well known to those skilled in the art. It will be seen that the pull member 24 is positioned on one side of the slider and fastener and that the pull member S ll is positioned on the opposite side thereof whereby the slider may be manipulated from either side of the slider and fastener. The locking member 7 normally assumes the locked posit-ion as shown in the hull lines of FIG. 2 of the drawings, with the locking prong 16 extending into the slider channel 6 and between any two adjacent fastener elements E therein so as to prevent unintentional movement of the slider along the fastener elements.

When the pull member 2d is grasped to manipulate the slider, the trunnion portion 21 thereof bears against either the tapered surface '15!) or 15c, depending on which direction it is desired to move the slider, thereby moving the leg portion 3 about the fulcrum 1% whereby the locking prong 16 is moved out of the channel and out of engagement with the fastener elements, as shown in the broken lines of FIG. 2, so as to permit the slider to be moved along the elements.

When it is desired to actuate the slider from the opposite side of the fastener to engage and disengage the fastener elements, the pull member 31 is grasped and the trunnion portion 32 thereof engages the side wall of the opening 23 of the locking member 7 thereby moving the same longitudinally with respect to the lugs 26 and 28, as shown in FIG. 3. As a result of such movement, the opposite leg portion 8 of the locking member is also moved outwardly about the fulcrum 1% of the lug 1% due to the integral transversely extending interconnecting portion 19. Upon such movement of this leg-like portion 8, it will be seen that the locking prong to is moved out of the slider channel thereby permitting the slider to be moved along the fastener elements. In each instance, when the respective pull members '26 and '31 are released, the locking prong 16 will again move into the channel 6 and into engagement with the fastener elements E therein due to the inherent resilient characteristics of the locking member, and the locking member will again assume the position as shown in the full lines of FIG. 2 of the drawings.

As a result of my invention, it will be seen that there is provided a reversible automatic lock slider consisting of a minimum number of parts, namely, four, two pull members, a locking member and a slider body which can be easily and inexpensively fabricated and assembled.

While I have shown and described an embodiment which my invention may assume in practice, it will be understood that this embodiment is merely for the purpose of illustration and description, and that other forms may be devised within the scope of my invention as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a slider for slide fasteners having a pair of spaced-apart wing portions connected at one end by a neck portion,

a substantially U-shaped member made of relatively thin resilient metallic material so as to provide a pair of spaced-apart attaching portions interconnected at one end by a transversely extending portion,

said member disposed around said slider with one attaching portion positioned on the outer side of each of said wing portions and with the transversely extending portion positioned adjacent the outer side of said neck portion,

at least one of said attaching portions having spacedapart side walls having an irregular-shaped opposed openings therein centrally thereof,

a locking prong arranged on the outer end of one of said attaching portions,

one of said wing portions having an aperture therein into and through which said locking prong extends,

means for pivotally connecting one of said attaching portions to one of said wing portions,

a pair of spaced-apart outwardly extending lug-like portions arranged on the other of said wing portions,

said last attaching portion straddling said lug-like pertions so that the side walls thereof are positioned to either side of the lug-like portions,

means carried by the side walls of said last attaching portion for slidably engaging the lug-like portions so as to permit longitudinal movement of said last attaching portion relative to said wing portion, and

a pull member arranged on the outer side of each of said Wing portions with each having a trunnion portion on one end thereof which is positioned in the respective openings in the respective side walls of the respective attaching portions between the same and respective win-g portions.

2. In a slider for slide fasteners, the combination as defined in claim 1, wherein the means carried by the side walls of the last attaching portion for slidably engaging the lug-like portion consists of an outwardly extending pin-like projection arranged on the outer side of each of said lug-like portions which are positioned in respective longitudinally extending slots arranged in the side Walls of said attaching portion.

3. in a slider for slide fasteners having a pair of spacedapart wing portions connected at one end by a neck portion,

a substantially U-sha-ped member made of relatively thin resilient metallic material so as to provide a pair of spaced-apart attaching portions interconnected at one end by a transversely extending port-ion,

said member disposed around said slider with one attaching portion positioned on the outer side of each of said wing portions and with the transversely extending portion positioned adjacent the outer side of said neck portion,

each of said attaching portions having spaced-apart side walls with each having an irregular-shaped opening therein centrally thereof,

a locking prong arranged on the outer end of one of said attaching portions,

one of said wing portions having an aperture therein into and through which said locking prong extends,

means for pivotally connecting the side walls of one of said attaching portions to one of said wing portions,

a pair of spaced-apart outwardly extending lug-like portions arranged on the other said wing portions,

said last attaching portions straddling said lug-like portions so that the side walls thereof are positioned to either side of the lug-like portions,

means carried by the side walls of said last attaching portion for slidably engaging said lug-like portions so as to permit longitudinal movement of said last attaching portion relative to said wing portion, and

a pull member arranged on the outer side of each of said wing portions with each having a trunnion portion on one end thereof which is positioned in the respective openings in the respective side walls of the respective attaching portions between the same and respective wing portions.

4. In a slider for slide fastener-s, the combination as defined in claim 3, wherein the means carried by the side walls of the last attaching portion for slidably engaging the lug-like portion consists of an outwardly extending pin-like projection arranged on the outer side of each of said lug-like portions which are positioned in respective long tudinally extending slots arranged in the side walls of said attaching portion.

5. In a slider for slide fasteners having a pair of spacedapart wing portions connected at one end by a neck portion,

a substantially U-shaped member made of relatively thin resilient metallic material so as to provide a pair of spaced-apart attaching portions interconnected at one end by a transversely extending portion,

said member disposed around said slider with one attaching portion positioned on the outer side of each of said wing portions and with the transversely extending portion positioned adjacent the outer side of said neck portion,

each of said attaching portions having spaced-apart side walls with each having an irregular-shaped opening therein centrally thereof,

a locking prong arranged on the outer end of one of said attaching portions,

one of said Wing portions having an aperture therein into and through which said locking prong extends,

a pair of spaced-apart outwardly extending lug-like portions arranged centrally on each of said wing portions, with one of each pair positioned adjacent the upper and lower end thereof,

said attaching portions straddling the respective luglike portions on the respective sides of the wing portions so that the respective side Walls thereof are positioned to either side of the respective lug-like portions,

means carried by the side walls of one of said attaching portions adjacent the transverse portion for pivotal ly engaging the upper luglike portion adjacent the neck portion on one of said wing portions,

means carried by the side walls of the other of said attaching portions for slidably engaging the lug-like portions on the other of said wing portions so as to permit longitudinal movement of said last attaching portion relative to said wing portion, and

a pull member arranged on the outer side of each of said Wing portions with each having a trunnion portion on one end thereof which is positioned in the respective openings in the respective side walls of the respective attaching portions between the same and respective Wing portions.

6. In a slider for slide fasteners, the combination as defined in claim 5, wherein the means carried by the side walls of the last attaching portion for slidably engaging the lug-like portion consists of on outwardly extending pin-like projection arranged on the outer side of each of said lug-like portions which are positioned in respective longitudinally extending slots arranged in the side walls of said attaching portion.

7. In a slider for slide fasteners having a pair of spacedapart wing portions connected at one end by a neck portion,

a substantially U-shaped member made of relatively thin resilient metallic material so as to provide a pair of spaced-apart attaching portions interconnected at one end by a transversely extending portion,

said member disposed around said slider with one attaching portion positioned on the outer side of each of said wing portions and with the transversely extending portion positioned adjacent the outer side of said neck portion,

each of said attaching portions having spaced-apart side walls with each having an irregular-shaped opening therein centrally thereof,

a locking prong arranged on the outer end of one of said attaching portions,

one of said Wing portions having an aperture therein into and through which said locking prong extends,

a pair of spaced-apart outwardly extending lug-like portions arranged centrally on each of said wing portions, with one of each pair positioned adjacent the upper and lower end thereof,

said attaching portion-s straddling the respective lugllike portions on the respective sides of the wing portions so that the respective side walls thereof are positioned to either side of the respective lug-like portions,

means carried by each of said side walls which cooperates with means carried by the respective lug-like portions for connecting said attaching portions movable relative thereto,

the cooperating connecting means between the lug-like portions and the respective side Walls of the respective attaching portion on one of said Wings being constructed and arranged so as to permit longitudinal movement thereof relative to the wing portion, and

a pull member arranged on the outer side of each of said wing portions with each having a trunnion portion on one end thereof which is positioned in the respective openings in the respective side walls of the respective attaching portions between the same and respective wing portions.

8. In a slider for slide fasteners, the combination as defined in claim 7, wherein the means carried by the side walls of the last attaching portion for slidably engaging the lug-like portion consists of an outwardly extending pin-like projection arranged on the outer side of each of said lug-like portions which are positioned in respective longitudinally extending slots arranged in the side walls of said attaching portion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,178,948 Brozek Nov. 7, 1939 2,953,831 Morin Sept. 27, 1960 3,006,050 Brown Oct. 3-1, 1961 

1. IN A SLIDER FOR SLIDE FASTENERS HAVING A PAIR OF SPACED-APART WING PORTIONS CONNECTED AT ONE END BY A NECK PORTION, A SUBSTANTIALLY U-SHAPED MEMBER MADE OF RELATIVELY THIN RESILIENT METALLIC MATERIAL SO AS TO PROVIDE A PAIR OF SPACED-APART ATTACHING PORTIONS INTERCONNECTED AT ONE END BY A TRANSVERSELY EXTENDING PORTION, SAID MEMBER DISPOSED AROUND SAID SLIDER WITH ONE ATTACHING PORTION POSITIONED ON THE OUTER SIDE OF EACH OF SAID WING PORTIONS AND WITH THE TRANSVERSELY EXTENDING PORTION POSITIONED ADJACENT THE OUTER SIDE OF SAID NECK PORTION, AT LEAST ONE OF SAID ATTACHING PORTIONS HAVING SPACEDAPART SIDE WALLS HAVING AN IRREGULAR-SHAPED OPPOSED OPENINGS THEREIN CENTRALLY THEREOF, A LOCKING PRONG ARRANGED ON THE OUTER END OF ONE OF SAID ATTACHING PORTIONS, ONE OF SAID WING PORTIONS HAVING AN APERTURE THEREIN INTO AND THROUGH WHICH SAID LOCKING PRONG EXTENDS, MEANS FOR PIVOTALLY CONNECTING ONE OF SAID ATTACHING PORTIONS TO ONE OF SAID WING PORTIONS, A PAIR OF SPACED-APART OUTWARDLY EXTENDING LUG-LIKE PORTIONS ARRANGED ON THE OTHER OF SAID WING PORTIONS, SAID LAST ATTACHING PORTION STRADDLING SAID LUG-LIKE PORTIONS SO THAT THE SIDE WALLS THEREOF ARE POSITIONED TO EITHER SIDE OF THE LUG-LIKE PORTIONS, MEANS CARRIED BY THE SIDE WALLS OF SAID LAST ATTACHING PORTION FOR SLIDABLY ENGAGING THE LUG-LIKE PORTIONS SO AS TO PERMIT LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT OF SAID LAST ATTACHING PORTION RELATIVE TO SAID WING PORTION, AND A PULL MEMBER ARRANGED ON THE OUTER SIDE OF EACH OF SAID WING PORTIONS WITH EACH HAVING A TRUNNION PORTION ON ONE END THEREOF WHICH IS POSITIONED IN THE RESPECTIVE OPENINGS IN THE RESPECTIVE SIDE WALLS OF THE RESPECTIVE ATTACHING PORTIONS BETWEEN THE SAME AND RESPECTIVE WING PORTIONS. 